


Newsworthy

by relmer



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Kiss, M/M, bc he’s spot, if you couldn’t tell, oh boy someone’s a superhero, protective albert, race and albert are roommates, sarah jacobs is a badass like always, spot knows, superhero albert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-07 07:12:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13429590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/relmer/pseuds/relmer
Summary: Prompt: “How about a Ralbert fic where they're superheroes or something and also best friends, but they don't know about each other's secret identities.”





	Newsworthy

**Author's Note:**

> newsies live cast!
> 
> the-athenian-pamphleteer on tumblr gave me this idea dkdnfk thank you!!! it’s not the exact one but i tried

Racetrack Higgins made many mistakes that day. One of which was not thinking before he spoke, which he seemed to do quite often, but this time it was worse than the others. It wasn’t his fault, honestly, when he was pulled into an alley by some random stranger.

“Wallet,” they had told him - no, _demanded_. Their hood was pulled up and they were slightly shorter than Race, meaning he couldn’t see their face.

“I don’t have it on me-“

“Bullshit! Give it, _now.”_

He shook his head, dodging a punch to his face. The stranger’s fist hit the brick wall, making them groan in pain. Race shoved them back, getting ready to fight. As the person barreled towards him, a blur hit them, knocking them to the side.

Race let out a groan when he saw his ‘savior’: the redheaded superhero that went by, of all names, Tempest. He controlled the weather, which was quite obvious by his name.

“Look who showed up just in time,” Race said, letting his hands drop.

Tempest grinned at him, shrugging. “You’re welcome.”

Race managed to escape just as the person who’d pulled him into the alley started standing up. The next day, Tempest, yet again, was in the papers.

– – –

It had been like that for a few weeks. Race would somehow get in trouble, and Tempest would always be there to save him. It wasn’t ever too big of trouble, but apparently just enough that the superhero would know and find him. On several accounts, it was the Delancey brothers who started trouble then had ran at the first sight of him.

At on point, Race started growing curious. Why was Tempest always there at the perfect time? Why was he always saving _Race,_ of all people?

When the blond mentioned this to his roommate and best friend, Albert, the latter only shrugged.

“Maybe he has a crush on you.”

Race had laughed, rolling his eyes. “He doesn’t even know me.”

“Still.”

“I doubt it, Al. To have a crush on someone, you have to have known them for at least a few months. I don’t know his real name.”

They let it drop, but Albert had seemed to act a little differently after that. Race, being his best friend for several years, noticed, but said nothing.

A few days after they talked, Race formed a plan. He’d get one of his friends, Spot, to pretend to attack him. Then the Tempest would come, and Race would force his name out of him. Not necessarily that harshly, but that was the basic plan. Spot and Race put it into action.

“Sorry isn’t gonna help you when I could kick your ass!” the brunet yelled, pushing Race back several feet.

Race knew of his friend’s strength, and Spot knew of his limits. They were careful, but on the outside it looked like Race was actually hurt when he fell.

“How about you knock it off, shorty.”

Both Spot and Race’s eyes shot towards the new figure. It was, as expected, Tempest. He looked annoyed at this point, instead of being ready to kick Spot’s ass.

“The hell-“

“Jesus, Race. You’re an idiot.” Tempest looked around before grabbing both of their arms. He tugged them farther into the alley so no one standing at the mouth of it could see them. Then he pulled off his mask.

 _”Al?”_ Race stared in shock. He looked at Spot, who didn’t seem surprised. “You knew of this?”

The short boy shrugged. “It’s pretty obvious.”

“What gave it away?” Albert asked sarcastically.

Race kept his mouth open, trying to figure everything out. His friends glanced at him, then each other, and shook their heads.

“You really are an idiot,” Spot said. He checked his phone. “I’ve got to go; slight emergency.”

Race and Albert watched as he left the alley. When Albert turned to Race, the blond slapped his cheek.

“Race, what the _hell?”_

“Why didn’t you fucking tell me?”

“I was going to!”

“Let me guess, everyone knew but me?”

Albert didn’t answer.

Race scoffed. “Wow. That’s pathetic, DaSilva.” He made to leave the alley, but Albert stopped him, a hand lightly wrapped around his wrist.

“Just hear me out. Please.”

“...Fine.”

Albert took a few moments to answer, trying to form the words correctly. “I... I didn’t want to tell you because I was scared how you’d react. There isn’t that many superheroes, and they all became one for a reason.”

“And yours was?”

“Someone threatened you - I’m not sure who, but they did, and they were somewhat powerful.”

Race just stared at him in confusion. “What happened to them.”

“Oh, they’re dead.”

Race choked.

“I didn’t kill them! Some other superhero did.”

“Who?”

“Spot.”

“Are you fucking-“

Albert let out a laugh. “That was a joke. Her name is like, Sarah or something. She’s pretty chill.”

“Okay, but when were you going to tell me about this?” Race asked. “Or were you just going to keep it going?”

“Um.” Albert’s face flushed. “When... I got enough guts to do this.”

He stepped forward, putting his hands on Race’s face, and softly pulled him forward. He waited for Race to lean in before doing so himself.

Tempest was in the papers the next day, along with a blond who was unrecognizable from the picture someone took. Spot Conlon went home with a few extra hundred dollars and a smirk that Race nearly slapped off of him.


End file.
